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Painting at height

We try and spread out the burden of building maintenance by doing some of it each year, rather than doing all of it every so many years. But as a certain poet once wrote about ‘the best laid plans of mice and men …’ – we’ve ended up having to repaint all of the exterior of Eight Askernish in just three days. Clearly it’s better if we can do this kind of maintenance during the ‘low season’ – when there’s not much demand for bookings of the cottage ; but that’s the winter, and there are precious few days when the weather is still, dry and frost free.

Eight Askernish : Repainting – D on the ground, J up above

Eight Askernish : Repainting – D on the ground, J up above

Eight Askernish : Repainting – D on the ground, J up above

Eight Askernish : Repainting – D on the ground, J up above

However, this week, the UK is enjoying record-breaking temperatures, with three days in a row each breaking the historical record of temperatures in February. In Ceredigion, where Becky lives, the temperature today was over 21 deg C. Here at Eight Askernish, the day could be described as ‘hazy sunshine’, with the temperature reaching 15degC. That’s much the same as a summer’s day of similar conditions.

The same week last year, the UK was caught in the grip of ‘The Beast from the East’ – a sustained blast originating in Siberia, bringing strong winds, snow drifts and thick ice over almost all of the UK – including Uist!

Been there, done that! I repainted most of the house in 2017 but the front elevation was put off as it is just so HIGH! We have our own scaffolding but even that isn’t tall enough. In the end we hired scaffolding (last Oct!) which made it a doddle (but still HIGH) and finally got it done. The paint is meant to last 15 years so I suspect I won’t be doing it again…;) It will be harder work painting over your much rougher rendering though – hope the weather holds till you are finished!

J > The rendering is a traditional Scottish type known as wet-dash, which could be described as throwing handfuls of fresh concrete at the bare walls. Also known as harling. It lasts a long long time (centuries) if done well. This harling is original – nearly 100 years old – and in hood condition. But without painting it would be very grey and dreary.